When I made a decision to follow the Lord Jesus Christ, the call to repent sounded like just one more sweet deal with no strings attached.  

However, I don’t ever recall being encouraged through a sermon or by congregational elders to repent further from any one of my character flaws that were still obvious to both them and the rest of the world.  Because in my mind, the fact that my sins were covered through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ was somehow sufficient enough for my “salvation.”

[Is there more than one meaning for “salvation? see: Playing to Win the Salvation Game]

However, somewhere along the line, I started reading.

And I came across a New Testament letter which claimed to be an eye-opener to its readers. It stated its purpose to be that of “stirring up [their] sincere mind[s] by way of reminder” in order for them to remember the promise given by God to the Jewish prophets as well as the commandment of [their] Lord and Savior spoken by His disciples.

[Do you know what the Lord promised Abraham and the Jewish prophets? see: Common Threads are Common, It’s All About Also.]

But one sentence had me scratching my head:

“The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”  [2 Pet. 3:9]  [my emphasis]

This was written …to those who [had] received a faith of the same kind as [the author], by the righteousness of [their] God and Savior, Jesus Christ…  They were already “saved!”

[What does “saved” mean?  See: Different fruit, Same Good News.]

So, in the mind of the apostle Peter, the issue of sin had been covered, but the problem of sin remained.  Otherwise, there’d be no need for those who were saved to continue in the act of making lifestyle changes by repenting.

I used to assume that the word translated in the Bible as “repent” meant to be sorry or show regret. However, this Greek verb μετανοέω actually means “to change one’s mind or purpose,” and calls for a lifestyle change, not just in attitude, but in behavior as well.     

So, if I seriously look forward to inheriting what the Lord has promised me, perhaps I should also think seriously about both the context and the Biblical definition of the word “perish” Peter used above:

[ἀπόλλυμι:  to destroy (an inanimate object); to kill (by taking a life); cause to lose (especially a life); to die or perish; violence and strife is often the associative meaning related to this word]

I can’t expect to be found “spotless and blameless” before the Lord someday simply because I confessed I was living an ungodly life ten years ago.  

Being a disciple of Jesus Christ demands a conscious commitment to recurrent change.  

I heard a wise man once say, “The Gospel requires a changed life.”